Justification:
A locally abundant catshark, found from Japan (Hokkaido and Honshu to Okinawa), Korea, China and possibly Philippines. Little is known of the biology but this is a relatively small oviparous species and may therefore be more productive than larger live-bearing sharks. Although no data are available to assess population trends, the species is apparently still abundant in areas that are heavily fished by trawlers. Other small scyliorhinid species have proven resilient to population decline, even where they are heavily fished (for example Scyliorhinus canicula in the Northeast Atlantic). This species is assessed as Least Concern because it is apparently still abundant, despite heavy fishing pressure within its range, and there is no evidence for population decline.

Found close inshore to depths of at least 320 m on the continental shelf and upper slopes. Reproduction is oviparous. This species is at least 8 cm long when hatched and grows to a maximum length of 48 cm, with males maturing at 41-48 cm and females maturing at 39 cm and above (Horie and Tanaka 2002, Compagno et al. 2005). Further biological data is available from Horie and Tanaka (2002): Size at sexual maturity appears to increase with declining water temperature (Horie and Tanaka 2002).

Captured incidentally by commercial trawl, nets, bottom gill-nets and bottom longline fishing, and usually discarded (Horie and Tanaka 2002). This species comprised 40% of discarded fish in Yamaguchi Prefecture, southern Japan (Horie and Tanaka 2002). Discard survivorship may be high as the species appears to be hardy.